Matrix for line-casting machines



Aug. 11, 1925; H. FREUND ET AL MATRIX FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES FiledJan. 14, 1921 ATTORNEYS Patented fi ing ll,

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WOIEJLTION 91" NEW "23311 3.

eradication met. a

T at? whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERMAN l nrnnm, residing; in Brooklyn, NQ 5L, andCHARLES WEBs'ma Gasman, residing in New York 6 city, New York, theformer a Germancitiaea and the letters United States citizen, havejointly invcnted'the following described Inaprovements in Matrices torLine-Casting" Machines.

The intention is an improvement. in the matrices used in line-casting orlinotype machines. lit Will be understccd that such mat rices are themovable elements in these machines carrying the die-cavities by means ofwhich the letters or characters are cast on the linotype slug. A font ofsuch matrices is contained in the magazine of themachine from which theyare selectivelydelivered and grouped in line in an assembling frame 2%or elevator by the operation of the compositors keyboard, In thiselevator they are justified and then presented to the cast ing mechanismafter which they are trans ported to the distributing mechanism. bymeans of which they are automatically're turned each to its respectivechannel in the magazine. The rear edge of each matrix carries the diecavity or cavities by which its particular type-character is cast in theslug andfor the convenience of the operator the same character is alsostamped in the surface of the-front edge of the matrix so that, as thematrices are grouped in composition these front edge referencecharacters form a reading line of the matter so composed which isintended to enable the 0perator to verify his Work. lln thecircumstances of practical use however such referonce characters becomeobscured and dithcultto read, and mistakes in compdsition are likely toescape notice, besides which their use imposes considerable strain onthecoin-- positors eyesight. The matrices are commonly chamfe'red orbevelled at the corners of their vertical, front edges in order tofacilitate their movement by and through the various automaticmechanisms of the machine, and when assembled in composition the-adacent chamfered corners produce re, 1%. career.

aseries of. vertical grooves intervening between the referencecharacters and breakmg up the continuity of the composed line so as tointerfere with reading it. The. chamfering also reduces the availablearea or the front edge surface of the matrix so that the characterapplied thereto is correspondingly small, and smaller than the diecharacter on the opposite edge. It is common practice to fillthe'refercnce character with a pigment for the sake of contrast with thesurrounding surface but this is not permanently efi ective-because thesurrounding field surface, usually a brass surface, soon becomes dirtyfrom use thereby destroying the contrast, or it frequently cleaned,becomes so shiny as to interfere with the legibility by reflection andglare. It has been proposed to keep the matrices clean by means ofbrushes incorporated in the ma chine and automatically operating tobrush them as, but the efiect of this attachment is not only to removethe dirt but also the pigment from the character. Other proposals havecontemplated the coloring otthc field as well as the character forcontrast and giving the field asurface texturenot likely to retain dirtand hence not requiring the use of the brushes, but such methods besidesbeing expensive are open to the objection that the colored surfacequickly Wears W off at the corners of the matrix leaving a shiny brassedge, which has the same efiect as the chamfer grooves in interruptingthe continuity of the reading line and confusing the eye. It istheobject of the present invention to improve the display of thereference characters so that they will be more quickly and plainlylegible and the least likely to become illegible as the result of Wearwhether colored or not, and to this end, the invention consists in theuse of one or more of the features hereinafter disclosed.

y In the accompanying single sheet of draW- ing, Fig. 1 is a perspectivegreatly enlarficd of a matrix having a chain c 'ed front c gc andincorporating such features in their pre ferrcd form formed on fieldsurfaceil which is sibly separate anddi stinct from the rest the frontedge, being preferably countersunk or set back from the immediatelyedjucont nortions l of said edge so that when such mat rices are incomposition, the assembled field surfaces will form it horizontal, panelon which the reading line appears as indicated in Fig. 2. This paneleffect is of much assistance in directing and guiding the eye when it isdesired to read the'line. The extent to which the field surface 3 is setback, or conversely, the extent .to which the adjacent portions 1project in front of it, is subject to variation according to the styleof the matrix, and general conditions. A set back of even it slightamount, provides it protection to the field surface which relieves it ofwear the repeated tru-vel oi the ins triz. through the machine, whichmight otherwise polish it and thus imp-sir its function as uproperbackground. in the case of chsinicred matrix, it is back at leastto the base of the chsmier 53) and preferably farther, so as to give thepanel effect and also tulcc advantage of the iull thickness of thematrix and thereby permit the field and character to be larger thanwould be possible placed heretofore, on the front surface betweenchainiers. The field sur face is preferably, though. not nccesss ily,located between the top and bottom lugs of the matrix and it is also outperpendicular to the plane of the matrix which inches its Verticalcorners 6 sharply right-angled, so that the panel formed by theassembled instrices is unbroken. by the chsmfer grooves will. be plainfrom the drawing. The individuul field surfaces thus fit so closely tl'rthe panel is not uppreciubly interrupted by the crevices between thematrices and more over the said corners are suiiicieutly proteeted abovementioned so that they do not become shiny from wear. The field surfacemay therefore betreated in any suitable manner to make adesirablecontrast lilll the character and Without the objection abovenoted as to colored 1nutricesit may be and preferably is blackened bytreatment with on acid and the reference charactor is also filled with alight colored pigmerit, but the surface may also be left in the naturalcolor of the brass or metal without producing glare because of theshading effect provided by the :icl ecent projecting ocrtions I otecteclnot some in. po hshm costs sci-seem.

with un :art'of the linot Y e machine d thereof constitute the principalfeatures oi the in'ventiou and that these effects may be I secured bythe use of other agencies than herein specifically shown forillustrating the principle of the invention and without departing fromthe fundsinentsl thought. Esch matrix may be formed With more tlisn onefield surface so to form more time one reading punelwhen in composition,cud more than one reference character my be put on c field surface, asmay be preierred, these and other obvious modifications beingcontemplated as Within the scope of the Jill vention as set forthin thefollowing claims. It is desirable that each field surfsce of a panelshall be of the some height so the others with which it is used and.that they shall be of the same general shade and uppearsnce to the endproducing Sit panel giving the gr atest sud to the oi the composed lino.

1. A. matrix for use in line casting ms chines having a separate surfacest its front edge between top and bottom lugs constituting field for areference character and adopted to form panel for the reading line ofcomposed group of said znctrices.

2. .5; matrix for use in line costing mecbiues Having s field surfacefor u reference character on its front edge, set back with relation tothe immediate udjccent oortion ofsuid front edge, and. adapted toit'orui u panel for the reading line of a grout or? said matrices. L

A matrix for use in line casting-mm chines having at its front edge, aseparate, protected field surface and a reference character applied tosaid surface. I

i. A matrix. for use in line ousting inc-- chines having a. fieldsurface tore reference character at the front edge thereof, the fieldand character being; contrustingly colored, l means associated with saidsurface for jirlQtQClJlng the color against Nearby colutuct with themachine in which the Zil't'biiK is used.

5. it inatr Y for use in line casting machines having at its Iront edgea separate, protected surface constituting a, field for a referencechersctec and adapted to form 9. panel for the reading line of a.composed group of such matrices, the reference character being coloredfor contrast with its field surface. 3

8-. A matrix for in line custii'uz ms chines g; ch: red vertical cornersfield surface for c as Wide till chines having a field surfa characterapplied chines having field surface trher 8. A mam-1.x for use ichamfered frani;

edge

to said chamfered front e em set back as far maasl (igeg as .far

and a. reference set; back surface. :1 hne casmng ma as the base of thechamfer and 'colored, and a reference characterhaving a. contrasting0010? applied to said field surface.

In tstimony whereof we have signeri this specification.

HERMAN FREUND. CHARMES EVE-ESTER GASKELL.

